Experiencing Costa Rica by Bike With a Preteen—Half 6

For 15 years Shawn Thomas has traveled the world as an official BMW tour information and off-road using teacher. His daughter Hailey has all the time been in love with bikes and impressed Thomas to mix his ardour for using with the fun of parenting. Father and daughter have shared a number of bike adventures all through the US, Central and South America.

Right here’s Half 6 of their newest journey into the villages, seashores, and rain forests of Costa Rica.

Like using with Hailey, waterfalls in Costa Rica haven’t any equal.

Shawn Thomas

Journey Log Day 6: What The Heck Is A Pizote?

Location: Arenal Volcano to San José.Climate: Heat and windy, then rain.

They seem like a raccoon blended with an aardvark. They make cute little squeaky sounds, and although they’re wild, you’d assume they had been pets. And Hailey is in love with them. We had been using up a mountain towards a waterfall park and got here throughout the critters on the roadside. Our information Juanca hopped off the bike, knelt down, and in moments was crawling in furry cuteness. Apparently these pizotes are used to vacationers and are fast to ask for a snack. We stayed for a superb half hour feeding them, and Hailey didn’t wish to depart.

Good timing as we each want a bathe.

Shawn Thomas

Lastly we continued up the mountain, arriving at an superior roaring waterfall. It was one in all a number of, and a complete park had been arrange round them. We had a fast chunk on the on-site restaurant and took a go searching. Along with waterfalls there was a small zoo, full with aviary, butterfly habitat, reptiles, monkeys, and even some native predatory animals comparable to cougars and ocelots. Hailey actually loved feeding the hummingbirds, and I used to be enamored with the jaguar habitat. These are some intense cats!

In fact, no journey to the waterfall park was full with out a journey to the waterfalls. This was powerful, due to my injured foot. A staircase wound via the rain forest, every step inflicting a throbbing ache in my stubbed toes. Our information Chris tried to maintain the tempo sympathetically gradual, however Hailey would have none of it and charged forward. The ache was value it; the falls had been much more intense and delightful shut up.

It was drizzling after we returned to the bikes. By the point we suited up, it was darkish and raining. It was proper round this time that I remembered my rain gear, which was nestled safely in my corridor closet at dwelling. Oops. Suffice to say the trip was chilly and depressing. However the rain let up, and ultimately we loved a crisp, heat trip again in to San José and Elephant headquarters.

Pura Vida—essentially the most well-known saying and Costa Rica and now Hailey’s favourite memento.

Shawn Thomas

Hailey was a bit melancholy at first, sharing that she didn’t need the journey to finish so quickly. However she received over it when the crew at Elephant offered her with a plaque depicting “Pura Vida,” the Costa Rican slogan that means “pure life” or “easy life” to the locals. We had spent the entire week listening to it and had been solely simply beginning to say it ourselves with out butchering the pronunciation.

Pura Vida means much more than these easy definitions. Like “aloha” in Hawaii, it’s used to convey happiness, acceptance, and enthusiasm. This definitely lends to why we heard it so usually, because the Costa Ricans are exceedingly form and completely happy, seemingly in any respect waking hours. Certainly, your complete nation provides off a sense of relaxed serenity and sweetness.

These moments of Pura Vida with Hailey are extra treasured to me than something I can think about. As she ascends to turning into a younger girl it’s my honest hope that these adventures will bond us collectively, holding us shut.